Door attachment



Oct. 1, 1929. H. w. SMITH 1,729,902

DOOR ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 1, 1928 FlE l A7 TORNEYS 19 of the parts When the door is in open position.

Patented Oct. 1, 1929 PATENT OFFICE HENRY W. SMITH, OF MENLO PARK GALIFOBNIA DOOR ATTACHMENT Application filed October 1, 1928. Serial No. 309,591.

My invention relates to a device for preventing drafts and objectionable air circulation between doors and their respective door frames. It is customary in hanging a door to mount it with its lower edge a considerable distance above the floor and partially to fill the. remaining space with a threshold. This expedient is almost universally employed but it permits objectionable drafts as for satisfac- T tory use it is essential to leave considerableclearance between the threshold and the lower edge of the door. Thresholds are subject to considerable wear, especially in the central portions thereof, so that even an initially snug fit soon wears and passes objectionable drafts. Furthermore, the expense incident to installing a threshold is considerable and it is therefore an object of my invention to obviate the necessity of installing I a threshold beneath a door.

Another object of my invention is to -provide a construction which will prevent all drafts beneath a door.

Another object of my invention is to pro Vide a weather strip which will not scrape over a floor thruout the entire movement of a door, and will not mar or scratch the highly finished surface. 7

An additional object of my invention is to p provide a weather strip which will accommoate itself to any irregularity in the floor surface, and will under all conditions of use afford an effective closure or seal between the lower edge of the door and the floor.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of part of a door and its frame showing the relationship Fig. 2 is likewise a perspective view of a portion of a door and its associated frame showing my device as the parts are related with the door in closed position.

In its preferred form, the door attachment of my invention preferably comprises a weather strip secured to an edge of a door for pivotal movement with respect thereto, and having means operable upon the relative approaching movement of the door and its .preferably is hung on the frame by hinges 9 of the customary variety. There is considerdrafts, I install the attachment of my inven- .23 secured to one of the journal plates 12.

frame for moving the weather strip away from the door and toward the floor to provide a closure therebetween.

As disclosed in the drawings, there is preferably provided a door frame 6 surrounding an opening and situated above a floor 7 which, i it will be noted, is a smooth andcontinuous surface. For closingv the opening surrounded by the frame 6, a door is provided which able clearance afiorded between the lower edge 11 of the door and the floor 7, and to effect a closure for this space and to prevent tion. This is effectively accomplished by providing a pair of journal plates 12 and 13 which are situate at opposite ends of the door adjacent the lower edge 11 thereof. These journal plates are screwed to or otherwise attached to the door 8 and are provided with one or more pairs of journal pins 14 and 1.6. Pivotally mounted on one of the pairs of journal pins is a metal strip 18 adapted to pivot on the pins 14 and carrying a felt strip vnal plates 12 and 13. Preferably, the strip 18 is disposed on one pair'of journal pins 14 which is offset somewhat from the center of the journal plate, but it can be disposedon either of the pairs of journal pins depending upon the conditions of use.

For effecting movement of the weather 3. strip to dispose it tightly against the floor 7 'when the door 8'is closed, I'mount a bell crank 21 on a pin 22 journalled in a bracket.

As indicated; the bell crank 21 may expedient-ly be made of a piece of stiff wire bent upon itself to form a more or less central loop. One end of the bell crank engages an apertured ear 24 turned up from the metal of the-strip 18. Preferably, a similar ear pro jects from the opposite side of the strip to be engaged by the bell crank'21 if the weather crank 21' is a member 26 preferably formed of spring steel and secured at one end to the journal plate 12. The other end of the member 26 is turned up and apertured to engage loosely the bell crank 21. Normally, the tension of the spring member 26 is such that it tends to lie in one plane, urging the bell crank in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 2, and lifting the weather strip from the floor and toward the door. This is the normal position of the device when the door is open.

To overcome the bias of spring member 26 and lower the weather strip into contact with the floor when the door is closed, I prefer ably provide a button 27 mounted on the strip 26 and adapted to project thru a suitable aperture 28 in the journal plate 12. This button contacts with the door frame 6 when the door is closed and to prevent undue wear there can be installed in the door framea contact plate 29.

When the door is open, as is shown in Fig. 1, the spring member 26 is effective to project the button 27 thru the aperture 28 and to lift the weather strip 19 by means of the bell crank 21. Thus the door can be swung thru the greater portion of its movement without having the weather strip contact with and perhaps scratch ormar the floor. On the other hand, in the latter portion of the closing movement of the door, the button 27 contacts theplate 29, thereby overcoming the bias of spring 26, and rotates the crank 21 in an anti-clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 2, thus resiliently lowering the weather strip 19 into contact with the floor. Due to the fact that the strip 19 is of felt or other yieldable material, it fol-lows any uneven contours in the floor and provides an extremely effective closure between the lower edge of the door and the floor.

It will beappreciated that with the construction as described, it is not necessary to install any threshold and that a smooth passageway and continuous floor surface may be provided between two rooms on opposite sides of the door frame 6. Furthermore, and with the exception of the contact plate 29 which, if desired can be omitted, the entire mechanism comprised in my invention is mounted on a door and can be installed in a mill before the door is hung, thus enhancing the economy of installation. Furthermore, all of the necessary operations to install the device are exceedingly simple and due to the fact that a plurality of pairs of journal pins 14: and 16 are provided, the weather strip can be installed in either of two selected positions depending upon the direction of swing of the door 8 with respect to its frame 6.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the form of the door attachment shown and described herein, as the invention,

as set forth in the following claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

I claim:

1. An attachment for use with a door movable with respect to a frame comprising a weather strip pivotally mounted on said door a bell crank connected to said weather strip, a strip spring secured at one end to engage said door and at the other end to said bell crank, said spring biasing said weather strip toward said door, and a member carried by said strip spring adapted to engage the frame of said door whereby said weather strip is moved away from said door.

2. An attachment for use with a door movable within a frame comprising a weather strip pivoted along an end of said door, a bell crank pivotally mounted within said door and in engagement with said strip, and

a flat spring secured to said door and biasing said crank to retain said strip against said door, said springbeing adapted to abut said frame whereby its bias is overcome and the strip is moved away from said door.

In testimony whereof, I have herento set my hand.

HENRY W. SMITH. 

